Originally Posted by Motorman
I build our bearings from scratch using only the best S2 grade cerbec Si02 balls. It makes a difference over a stock bearing. This is the only way to control what goes into the bearing and to insure it is abec spec'd correctly. your right the bocas are over priced and the abec spec is to sloppy. Currently the only bearing I focus on is the big one and haved used full ceramic hybrid and ceramic,carbide ball hybrids. Ceramic/carbide works the best as when using ceramic balls only the ball bearing tends to load up the races. when you compliment it with an every other steel ball the steel ball keeps the races scrubbed.
yes they are worth it if done right.
Motorman has got the right idea. Use quality material get quality results. The idea of a mix sounds really good and I might give it a try on the next bearing replacement.
Like most of the posters my experience with both Boca and Acer has been mixed. Sure some of the Boca have been great but some have been a real waste. especially given their price. I mean, $8 a bearing and some have died pretty quick. I've bought a few sets from Acer before and was happy with the results but can't buy gold for the price of tin. My experience is they don't last as long as a racer would like i.e. forever. The shields tend to come off a bit too easily. But then again, if you want to try ceramic I'd recommend Acer. $90 gets you a set plus shipping. Some guys charge $200 and up for a similar set and the bearings don't seem to last any longer.